Moving to and returning from abroad - benefits and services · PDF fileMoving to and returning...

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1 Moving to and returning from abroad – August 2016 Moving to and returning from abroad - benefits and services This factsheet explains how a temporary or permanent move abroad could affect your entitlement to benefits and health care, and what action you can take. It also provides information on how to claim benefits and health care services upon your return to the UK. This factsheet is aimed at people of or nearing retirement age. Last reviewed: August 2016 Next review date: September 2016 Independent Age provides advice to help people claim benefits, access social care and stay independent at home. Our local volunteers provide friendship visits and calls for lonely older people. To find out how Independent Age can help you, call us FREE on 0800 319 6789 or visit independentage.org

Transcript of Moving to and returning from abroad - benefits and services · PDF fileMoving to and returning...

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Moving to and returning from abroad – August 2016

Moving to and returning from

abroad - benefits and services

This factsheet explains how a temporary or permanent move abroad

could affect your entitlement to benefits and health care, and what

action you can take.

It also provides information on how to claim benefits and health care

services upon your return to the UK.

This factsheet is aimed at people of or nearing retirement age.

Last reviewed: August 2016

Next review date: September 2016

Independent Age provides advice to help people claim benefits,

access social care and stay independent at home. Our local

volunteers provide friendship visits and calls for lonely older

people. To find out how Independent Age can help you, call us

FREE on 0800 319 6789 or visit independentage.org

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Contents

Moving to and returning from abroad - benefits and services .. 1

1. Introduction ........................................................... 4

2. What you need to do before you move abroad ............. 6

3. Can I keep receiving my benefits while I'm abroad? ...... 7

Bereavement Allowance ................................................ 8

Carer’s Allowance ........................................................ 8

Council Tax reduction ................................................... 9

Disability Benefits: Attendance Allowance, Disability Living

Allowance and Personal Independence Payment ............... 9

Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) .................... 10

Universal Credit ......................................................... 11

Housing Benefit ......................................................... 11

Pension Credit ........................................................... 13

Winter Fuel Payments ................................................ 14

4. Pensions when you go abroad ................................. 15

5. Healthcare abroad ................................................. 17

Visiting countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) .. 17

Visiting countries outside of the EEA ............................. 18

If you’re moving abroad ............................................. 18

Moving permanently to a country in the EEA .................. 19

To do if you're receiving State Pension... ....................... 20

To do if you're not yet receiving State Pension... ............ 20

6. Social care services abroad ..................................... 21

7. If you want to return to the UK................................ 22

Habitual Residence Test – your intent to stay in the UK ... 22

8. Returning to the UK - Benefits ................................. 24

9. Returning to the UK – health services ....................... 25

10. Returning to the UK - housing ............................... 26

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Moving to and returning from abroad – August 2016

11. Returning to the UK – social care services and

residential care............................................................ 27

12. Summary – key things to remember before you travel

28

13. Useful contacts ................................................... 29

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1. Introduction

If you’re thinking about going abroad for a long time or even

permanently, it’s important to know how your pension and any

benefits you receive will be affected and what will happen if (or

when) you return to the UK.

How you access healthcare and other services will depend on

whether you’re just visiting or staying in a country

permanently. This factsheet gives an overview of what you can

expect.

Good to know

What happens to your benefits and healthcare entitlement

depends on whether or not you are moving to a country within

the European Economic Area (EEA). For example, inside the

EEA you can claim some benefits which you wouldn’t be eligible

for outside of it.

The European Economic Area consists of the 28 member states

of the EU listed below, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Swiss Nationals are treated the same as EEA Nationals.

The following are European Union countries:

Austria Germany Poland

Belgium Greece Portugal

Bulgaria Hungary Romania

Croatia Ireland Slovakia

Cyprus Italy Slovenia

Czech Republic Latvia Spain

Denmark Lithuania Sweden

Estonia Luxembourg UK

Finland Malta

France Netherlands

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The UK also has benefit agreements with some countries

outside of the European Economic Area. Visit the Department

for Work and Pensions (DWP) website for details

dwp.gov.uk/international/social-security-agreements.

How will Brexit affect me?

The UK has voted to leave the EU which means that in the

future some laws may change, but nobody knows yet what the

full impact will be. If you are a UK citizen living in an EU

country, your rights haven’t changed either. Although your

situation may change in the future that will depend on any

negotiations and agreements that take place. You will have

time to take action before any changes come into effect.

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2. What you need to do before you move

abroad

If you’re planning to moving abroad, you need to tell:

your council – and give them a forwarding address to use for

post such as voting papers. This is especially important if

you receive benefits (see below)

HM Revenue and Customs – to make sure you pay the right

amount of tax when you’re abroad (0300 200 3300 if calling

from the UK)

the International Pension Centre (0191 218 7777) if you’re

already receiving a State Pension or want to know how to

claim it when you’re abroad (see chapter 4 for more

information about pensions)

your GP and any other NHS departments you’re in contact

with.

If you receive benefits and are planning to leave the UK for

more than four weeks, you also need to inform the offices that

deal with them (see chapter 3 for who to contact for specific

benefits).

To do....

Contact all the relevant organisations well before you travel.

Write to them to say why you’re leaving the UK and how long

you’re likely to be away for. Keep a copy of all your letters for

your records.

If you go abroad for more than four weeks without telling the

relevant benefit offices, you may be overpaid benefits as a

result. As a result you could be fined, and may have to pay

back any overpayments.

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3. Can I keep receiving my benefits while

I'm abroad?

Each benefit has different rules about how long you can receive

it while you’re abroad. As a general rule, you can’t get means-

tested benefits (related to your income) when you move

abroad.

In this section, we cover:

Bereavement Allowance (page 7)

Carers Allowance (page 7-8)

Council Tax reduction (page 8-9)

Council Tax support (page 10)

Disability Benefits: Attendance Allowance Disability Living

Allowance and Personal Independence Payment (page 9-10)

Employment and Support Allowance (page 10-11)

Housing Benefit (page 11)

Pension Credit (page 12)

Universal Credit (page 13)

Winter Fuel Payment (page 12-13).

Good to know

If you leave the country temporarily, you’re often entitled to

more benefits than if you leave permanently.

If you are moving abroad permanently

Once you know which benefits you can continue to get, you

need to decide whether to receive them into your UK bank,

building society or Post Office account, or into the account of a

nominated person who lives in the UK. You may also be able to

receive them into a bank account held abroad, but you need to

check with the office making the payments.

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1. Bereavement Allowance

If you move to an EEA country, Switzerland or Gibraltar, you

can receive Bereavement Allowance however long you stay.

You may also be able to claim it in other countries.

To do...

Tell the International Pension Centre if you’re moving so they

can arrange for you to keep getting this benefit (0191 218

7777, Textphone 0191 218 7280, gov.uk/international-

pension-centre).

2. Carer’s Allowance

You can continue to receive your Carer’s Allowance if either:

you go abroad for up to four weeks in any six month period,

or;

you go abroad for up to six months with the person you care

for, and they get Disability Living Allowance, Personal

Independence Payment (PIP) or Attendance Allowance (see

page 10 about these benefits).

If you’re moving to an EEA country or Switzerland, you may be

able to keep getting Carer’s Allowance for longer than this. To

find out what you may be entitled to, contact the Exportability

Team (see details below).

To do...

Tell the Carer’s Allowance Unit (0345 608 4321, Textphone

0345 604 5312) if you’re going away for more than four weeks.

If you’re moving away permanently, contact the Exportability

Team at the Department for Work and

Pensions (gov.uk/exportability-team), or write to:

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Exportability Team, Room B201, Pension, Disability and Carers

Service, Warbreck House, Warbreck Hill Road, Blackpool FY2

0YE

Tel: 0125 333 1044

3. Council Tax reduction

Local councils can set their own rules about Council Tax

Reduction, so contact your local authority Council Tax office for

more information or visit the government website

(gov.uk/council-tax/working-out-your-council-tax).

To do...

Speak to the council tax department before you go to find out

where you stand.

4. Disability Benefits: Attendance Allowance,

Disability Living Allowance and Personal

Independence Payment

If you’re going abroad temporarily, you can keep claiming any

disability benefits for up to 13 weeks. If you’re going abroad

especially for medical treatment, you may be able to receive

them for up to six months.

If you’re moving permanently to an EEA country or

Switzerland, you may be able to continue to receive

Attendance Allowance, the care component of Disability Living

Allowance, or the daily living component of Personal

Independence Payment.

To do...

If you’re going away temporarily, contact the relevant benefit

helpline to let them know before you leave the UK. If you’re

going away for medical treatment, you must get agreement in

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advance from the DWP if you want your benefit to be paid for

more than 13 weeks.

Attendance Allowance helpline: 0345 605 6055

Disability Living Allowance helpline: 0345 712 3456

Personal Independence Payment helpline: 0345 850 3322

If you are moving more permanently, contact the Exportability

Team at the DWP (see chapter 2 for their contact details).

5. Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

Wherever you go, you can keep getting ESA (either income-

related or contribution-based) for up to four weeks. You can

get contribution-based ESA for up to six months if you’re going

abroad solely for medical treatment.

If you’re moving to an EEA country or Switzerland, you can

keep getting contribution-based ESA as long as you’ve made

enough National Insurance contributions. This also applies to

some other countries with a social security agreement with the

UK. Contact the International Pension Centre for advice (0191

218 7117).

If you live abroad permanently and receive ESA, the

International Pension Centre will write to you when your claim

is going to be reviewed. It will send you a medical

questionnaire to reassess your condition. If they then decide

that you must attend a face-to-face assessment with a medical

professional, they will arrange an appointment for you in the

country where you live. You can also choose to return to the

UK for the assessment.

To do...

However long you're going for, tell the DWP before you go

(0345 608 8545, gov.uk/contact-jobcentre-plus).

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6. Universal Credit

You can receive Universal Credit if you’re abroad for up to four

weeks. You can get it for up to six months if you’re going

abroad for medical care or convalescence, or you’re

accompanying your partner or child for treatment or

convalescence. If you’re a couple, you can get Universal Credit

if either or both or you are temporarily abroad. Contact the

DWP on 0345 600 0723, Textphone 0345 600 0743.

7. Housing Benefit

If you’re temporarily absent from Great Britain, you can keep

getting Housing Benefit for up to four weeks, if at the start of

the absence you don’t plan to be away for more than four

weeks. This period can be extended up to eight weeks if:

the absence is caused by the death of your partner, child

or qualifying young person who normally lives with you

and

it is unreasonable to expect you to return to Great Britain

within the four weeks.

If you’re temporarily absent from Great Britain for medical

treatment, you can keep getting Housing Benefit for up to 26

weeks, providing:

the absence is not expected to be longer than this

and

the absence is solely in connection to medical treatment

from a qualified practitioner or medically-approved

convalescence for treatment you had before leaving Great

Britain.

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This also applies if you’re accompanying a partner, child or

qualifying young person who normally lives with you, while

they are receiving treatment.

To do...

Contact the Housing Benefit department at your council before

you travel.

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8. Pension Credit

If you’re temporarily absent from Great Britain, you can

keep getting Pension Credit for up to four weeks, if at the

start of the absence you don’t plan to be away for more

than four weeks.

This period can be extended up to eight weeks if:

the absence is caused by the death of your partner, child or qualifying young person who normally lives

with you

and

it is unreasonable to expect you to return to Great Britain within the four weeks.

If you’re temporarily absent from Great Britain for medical

treatment, you can keep getting Pension Credit for up to

26 weeks providing:

the absence is not expected to be longer than this

and

the absence is solely in connection to medical treatment from a qualified practitioner or medically-approved convalescence for treatment you had before leaving Great Britain.

This also applies if you’re accompanying a partner, child or

qualifying young person who normally lives with you, while

they are receiving treatment.

To do…

Tell the Pension Service before going abroad (0345 606

0265).

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9. Winter Fuel Payments

If you’re moving to another country within the EEA or

Switzerland, you may keep getting payments depending on the

average winter temperature of the country you’re moving to.

You can’t get the payment if you move to France, Spain,

Cyprus, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta or Portugal because the

average winter temperature is higher than the warmest part of

the UK.

If you haven’t claimed Winter Fuel Payment before, you can

make a new claim from abroad once you reach the qualifying

age. For winter 2015-16, this means you were born before 6

January 1953. You must also have a link to the social security

system, such as having lived or worked in the UK, or getting a

State Pension or other benefits.

If you already get a Winter Fuel Payment, contact the

department that makes this payment to tell them you’re

moving abroad. Their contact details are on any letters they

have sent you. If you need any help or advice, contact the

Winter Fuel Payment Team at the International Pension Centre

(0191 218 7777).

To do...

To make a new claim for Winter Fuel Payment from outside the

UK, call +44 (0)191 218 7777. From within the UK, call 03459

15 15 15. You can also find a claim form on the government

website (gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/how-to-claim).

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4. Pensions when you go abroad

You can still get your State Pension if you move abroad, but in

some countries it will be frozen at the rate it was first paid. You

will only be entitled to an annual increase if you’re moving to:

a European Union (EU) country, or in the European Economic

Area (EEA) – see chapter 1.

a country with an agreement with the UK to give an annual

increase, which includes Guernsey, Jersey, the USA, Turkey

and Mauritius.

To do....

Contact the International Pension Centre (0191 218 7777,

Textphone: 0191 218 7280, gov.uk/international-pension-

centre) to talk about your plans and find out how your pension

will be affected in the country you plan to move to.

The International Pension Centre can advise the local Pension

Service offices of your plans when necessary. Make sure you

have your National Insurance number when you call.

If you are not yet claiming your State Pension

If you’re living abroad before you start receiving your State

Pension, contact the International Pension Centre.

To do...

If you’re planning to go abroad before your retirement age, you

may want to find out how much State Pension you’ll receive. If

you’re 55 or over and still in the UK, you can do this by getting

a pension statement.

You’ll need to fill in the State Pension statement form (BR19)

which you can get from your local Job Centre or the Future

Pension Centre (0345 300 0168) or you can make your request

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for a statement by phone. You can also apply for a statement

online (gov.uk/state-pension/statement).

Once you’re living abroad, you can contact the Future Pensions

Centre (+44 191 218 3600) for a State Pension statement and

information about your National Insurance contributions as

long as you’re at least four months away from reaching your

UK pension age.

If you’re abroad and have a question about State Pension, call

the International Pension Centre (+44 (0)191 218 7777).

Good to know

State Pension Rules will change for people who reach State

Pension Age after 5 April 2016 as a new State Pension is

coming in. Contact the Independent Age Advice Line on 0800

319 6789 for more information.

War Pensions

You can usually continue receiving a War Pension no matter

where you live. If you live abroad you’ll receive the same

amount of War Pension and the same general increases as war

pensioners who live in the UK.

To do...

If you receive a War Pension and intend to live abroad for more

than three months, inform Veterans UK (0808 1914 218,

veterans-uk.info).

They will send you an information booklet and discuss how

they will pay your War Pension to you once you’re abroad.

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5. Healthcare abroad

The healthcare you can expect abroad depends on where

you’re going and whether you’re just visiting or moving there

permanently.

Visiting countries in the European Economic Area

(EEA)

If you’re visiting a country in the EEA (see chapter 1), you can

get medical treatment with a free European Health Insurance

Card (EHIC). This entitles you to the same state healthcare as

a resident of that country.

To do...

Make sure you have an EHIC before you go. Contact the NHS

application service (0300 330 1350) for a form, or fill in the

form online (gov.uk/european-health-insurance-card). You

should receive your EHIC within seven days. It’s valid for five

years so remember check it’s still valid before going away.

If you lose your EHIC while abroad, you can apply for a

Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC). This will give you

the same cover as an EHIC until you return home. To apply for

a PRC while abroad, contact the Overseas Healthcare Team

(+44 191 218 1999).

An EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance. It only gives

you access to state run hospitals and won’t cover costs such as

lost or stolen property or flight cancellations.

Good to know

Some EEA countries expect patients to pay something towards

their treatment, although it is sometimes possible to receive a

refund for this extra cost once you’re back in the UK.

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Visiting countries outside of the EEA

Healthcare costs for visitors to non-EEA countries depend on

whether the UK has a healthcare agreement with that country.

If there is an agreement, any emergency or immediate

treatment you need will be free or provided at a reduced cost.

If there isn’t a healthcare agreement between the country

you’re staying in and the UK, you must pay for all healthcare

provided.

To do...

Check whether the UK has a healthcare agreement with the

country you’re planning to travel to. You can see details on the

NHS Choices website

nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/countryguide/NonEE

Acountries.

When you stay in any non-EEA country, it is recommended that

you take out private medical or travel insurance. Make sure

you check exactly what is covered in the policy.

Good to know

You can’t generally travel to another country with the intention

of having medical treatment unless this has been pre-arranged.

Contact your local NHS Clinical Commissioning Group or NHS

England (0300 311 2233, england.nhs.uk) before making any

arrangements. Visit

www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/plannedtreatment

to find out more.

If you’re moving abroad

Find out about the healthcare system of the country where you

plan to settle. Even if you move within the EEA, the healthcare

system may not cover all the costs or provide all the services

you would get from the NHS.

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The UK has special healthcare agreements with some countries

(such as Gibraltar), but again, this may not cover everything

you might expect of the NHS.

To do...

Have a look at the information about healthcare in each

country on NHS website

(nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/movingabroad).

Or if you’re planning to move to an EEA country, contact the

Overseas Healthcare Team (0191 218 1999).

If you're planning to move to a non EEA country, contact the

HMRC Centre for non-residents (0845 915 4811). They can tell

you about any healthcare agreements the UK has for people

who move there permanently.

Private medical insurance

Wherever you’re moving to, it’s best to take out private

medical insurance to pay for any costs not covered by the

healthcare system of that country. This might include dental

treatment, ambulance services, prescription charges or medical

repatriation to the UK.

Good to know

Once you have moved permanently to another country, you will

no longer be entitled to non-emergency medical treatment in

the UK. This is because the NHS is a residence-based

healthcare system. You will lose your entitlement to NHS

treatment once you have been gone for three months (or six

months if you’re over State Pension age and have moved to a

country in the EEA).

Moving permanently to a country in the EEA

Once you’ve moved permanently to an EEA country, you won’t

be able to use your EHIC card for healthcare treatment.

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Instead, if you’re moving to a country within the EEA and

you’re getting a State Pension, you’ll need to complete an S1

form. If you’re moving to Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway or

Switzerland, you’ll need an E121 form. This will mean you can

receive the same level of free or reduced cost healthcare as

other pensioners living in your adopted country.

If you’re not receiving State Pension, you won’t have access to

the healthcare system like other residents of that country.

To do if you're receiving State Pension...

Contact the International Pension Centre (0191 218 7777) to

ask for the form you need before you go.

You should then hand in the S1 or E121 form as soon as

possible to the authorities who run the health insurance

scheme in your new country.

To do if you're not yet receiving State Pension...

Contact the Overseas Healthcare Team for advice (0191 218

1999). It will be even more important to have private medical

insurance if you move abroad before you’re receiving your

State Pension.

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6. Social care services abroad

Check what social care services you could expect to receive in

your adopted country should you ever need care at home or in

a care home. There are no arrangements for receiving social

care abroad like there are for healthcare.

State social care varies greatly from country to country and

may not exist in some countries where families remain the

main providers of support. Private care homes may be

expensive, or you may find that staff and residents speak little

English and the culture could be very different from what you

are used to. Would you move back to the UK if you thought

you needed social care support (see chapter 11)?

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7. If you want to return to the UK

Returning to the UK can affect your tax liabilities. You will need

to tell HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and sort out your tax

affairs both in the UK and the country you’re leaving.

To do...

Call the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Residency Helpline

if you’re returning to the UK (0300 200 3300 from within the

UK, +44 151 210 2222 from outside the UK).

Accessing services in the UK

Before claiming benefits or using certain council services when

you return to the UK, you may need to have a Habitual

Residence Test.

The test checks that you intend to stay in the UK and are not

simply coming back to use certain services. If you’re not a UK

national, then the test also checks whether you have the right

to live in the UK.

Habitual Residence Test – your intent to stay in

the UK

It can be difficult to prove that you intend to settle in the UK.

The sort of things that the decision maker will look at include:

how long you’ve been in the UK and how long you intend to

stay (you usually need to have been in the UK for at least

one to three months to be consider ‘habitually resident’ but

this depends on your circumstances)

your reasons for returning

how much your life is based in the UK (such as whether you

own property in the UK, you have family in the UK, and

you’ve registered with a GP and dentist).

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You’ll be given a form to fill in. Include as much evidence as

possible to back up what you say in this form. This could

include:

proof of when you arrived in the UK, e.g. travel tickets

proof that you've sold a property abroad or given up a

tenancy

documents to show you own or rent property in the UK.

The Habitual Residence Test can be carried out by your local

council, the Department for Work and Pensions, or HM Revenue

and Customs.

To do...

If you need help to complete a Habitual Residence Test,

contact your local Citizens Advice or call their national phone

service (03444 111 444 in England, 03444 772 020 in Wales,

0808 800 9060 in Scotland).

If you fail the test, you have the right to appeal. Get advice

from a local Citizens Advice or call the Independent Age advice

line on 0800 319 6789.

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8. Returning to the UK - Benefits

If you apply for benefits within two years of returning to the

UK, you may be asked to complete Habitual Residence Test

(see chapter 7) In addition, whether or not you’re eligible for

certain benefits will depend on one or more of the following:

the National Insurance (NI) contributions you have paid

during your working life

the NI contributions you have paid for a particular period of

time

whether you live in the UK now

whether you usually live in the UK

why you have come to or returned to live in the UK

whether your entry to the UK is subject to limitations or

conditions.

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9. Returning to the UK – health services

Everyone is entitled to emergency NHS treatment in the UK,

whether or not they’re resident here. However, free non-

emergency treatment is only for people who are ‘ordinarily

resident’ in the UK.

If you have lived abroad for more than three months (or six

months for pensioners living in another EEA member state),

you may need to show evidence you intend to resettle in the

UK before being eligible for non-emergency healthcare.

To do...

As soon as you have a permanent UK address, register with a

GP so you can access health services as a resident.

If you are just visiting the UK

If you usually live in an EEA country and are visiting the UK,

you should show your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

(see page 18 for details). If you’re visiting from a non-EEA

country with which the UK has no healthcare agreement (see

chapter 5), you will usually be expected to pay for medical

treatment.

Good to know

If you live for at least half of the year in the UK and spend the

rest of the year in another EEA country as a non-resident,

you’re entitled to free hospital treatment when you’re in the

UK.

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10. Returning to the UK - housing

Finding a suitable permanent home can take time. You may

have to find a short-term private rent or move in temporarily

with friends or relatives while you’re looking.

Housing can be provided by councils, housing associations and

private landlords. To access housing from a council or housing

association, you must pass the Habitual Residency Test.

Demand for housing is high and you’re likely to have to join a

waiting list. However if you’re homeless and vulnerable

because of old age, disability, mental illness or other reasons,

the council may have a duty to provide you with housing.

Contact your local council when you’re back in the UK to see

where you stand.

To do...

Contact the Elderly Accommodation Counsel (0800 377 7070,

housingcare.org) for information about care homes, sheltered

housing schemes and extra care housing schemes.

You could also contact Abbeyfield (0172 785 7536,

abbeyfield.com), a charity which provides housing with care for

older people.

See our factsheets Housing decisions and options in later

life and Extra care housing for more information about types

of housing available.

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11. Returning to the UK – social care

services and residential care

If you know you’re going to need care when you get back to

the UK, it’s best not to simply turn up and ask the council for

help. However, if you do arrive back in the UK and urgently

need care, the council should treat you like any other resident.

If possible, it’s best to contact the relevant local council before

you move to let them know you’ll be moving to the area soon

and will need an urgent care assessment when you arrive. See

our factsheet Assessment and care services from your

local council in England for more information.

If the council turns you down for an assessment, you may need

legal help to appeal it. Contact the Disability Law Service (020

7791 9800, dls.org.uk) for free initial advice.

Or you can contact Civil Legal Advice (0345 345 4345,

gov.uk/civil-legal-advice) to find out if you’re eligible for legal

aid.

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12. Summary – key things to remember

before you travel

Find out as much as you can about the country you’re

moving to, including what healthcare you’re entitled to, what

accommodation is available, and any customs you should be

aware of.

Inform all the offices that will need to know that you’re going

away, such as your local council and any DWP offices that

pay your pension and benefits (see chapter 2)

Take out travel insurance, including separate health

insurance if you’re moving permanently (especially to a

country outside of the European Economic Area (EEA)).

If you’re travelling within the EEA, make sure you have

either applied for a European Health Insurance Card or filled

in the S1 or E121 form if you’re retired and are moving

permanently.

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13. Useful contacts

General information about moving abroad

For more information about moving abroad on a permanent

basis, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office produces a

booklet called Going to Live Abroad (020 7008 1500,

fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/living-overseas/)

The government has also produced lots of online information

for people considering a move abroad:

For benefits information gov.uk/claim-benefits-abroad

For pensions information gov.uk/state-pension-if-you-retire-

abroad

Health information nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad

Information about a move to a particular country

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has also produced some

useful guides about living in particular countries

(gov.uk/government/collections/overseas-living-in-guides).

If you're unsure about anything that you have read in

this factsheet and would like to talk to someone about it, ring

our advice service to speak to one of our expert advisers (0800

319 6789).

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This factsheet has been put together by Independent Age's

expert advisers. It is not a full explanation of the law and is

aimed at people aged over 60.

If you need this information in an alternative format (such as

large-print or audio cd), call us on 0800 319 6789 or email

[email protected].

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write to us at the address below, phone us on 020 7605 4294

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We will use your feedback to help us plan for changes to our

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